New Dean of Harvard Business School Online Aims for Modular Courses, More Diversity

Last year Harvard Business School’s online operation got a new name. Now it has a new leader as well. A few months ago, Debora Spar took the helm at Harvard Business School Online, after a rocky year-long stint as the president of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. Spar has plenty of experience in higher education, having served as president of Barnard College and as a professor at the brick-and-mortar Harvard Business School. So what are her plans for this upstart wing of the august school? And how much disruption does she see coming to higher education? We connected with Spar this month to find out. The conversation follows below, lightly edited for clarity.